Zuri stepped out of the tunnel and into the forest, with darkness surrounding her. She turned around, hoping to see the boys one last time, but they had vanished, and the tunnel was empty. The realization that she was now on her own hit her hard. The Realm, with its mysteries and dangers, demanded her full attention, and she was determined to understand its pull and find a way to end it.
As she moved through the forest, she felt guilty about how she'd treated Zion in the hospital. He had always been there for her, saving her from danger. But now, she had to make her choices, even if it meant leaving him behind.
She remembered his words, "I am yours, and you are mine, and we are one". What did he mean? Was it just a declaration of love, or did it mean something more? These thoughts spun in her mind as she walked further into the forest, but she couldn't dwell on them for long, she had a test to face, and her mom's safety depended on her.
Zuri wandered the forest for hours but found no one and nothing that could help. Tired, she leaned against a tree to rest. The night was cold, causing her to shiver but she knew she couldn't stop for long. The night sky seemed different. If you looked long enough, It was like the stars were so close, that you could almost reach out and touch them. The trees were so tall they seemed to merge with the sky.
She was mesmerized by the forest, remembering her past visit and the people she had met. She wondered what had happened to them, the siblings, the old man, and the little kid. Deep down, she hoped they had passed their tests and made it to the other side. Zuri was lost in her thoughts as the gentle wind rustled through the trees. Before she knew it, sleep took her.
"Maybe she's one of them!" one said.
"Let's wake her up and find out!" replied the other.
The voices startled Zuri awake. She stood up quickly, disoriented, the forest still in darkness. Two women took a cautious step back, eyeing her warily.
"Who are you?" they asked. Zuri, trying to remember what she needed to do, responded with a shaky voice,
"The test! I was in a cave!" She stumbled over her words, trying to seem genuinely frightened. The two women exchanged confused glances.
"You were in the cave too?" They both asked at the same time. One of them continued,
"Us too! We just got out of a tunnel!" they seemed to believe her, and she replied confidently,
"Me too. I went through a tunnel, and now here in this forest!"
Zuri described her journey through the cave to the girls, carefully leaving out any mention of the boys or the couple she had encountered along the way. She wanted to make sure her story fit their expectations, so she painted a picture of navigating the dark and dangerous tunnels alone, relying on her instincts to find her way through.
The girls looked impressed by Zuri's tale, but when they shared their own stories, it sounded similar to the story of the siblings, Amine and Meriem. The two girls were drenched and trembling with cold. Their clothes were soaked, and their hair stuck to their faces.
Zuri introduced herself, and the other girls followed. They were best friends, Elvina and Ariya, both the same age as Zuri's sister Zara. They wore school uniforms, which were now dripping wet. Elvina had short black hair and wore light makeup, while Ariya had long red hair styled in a ponytail. Despite their exhaustion and cold, they seemed relieved to meet someone else who understood what they had been through.
Elvina suggested they build a fire to warm up and dry their clothes. She mentioned that she often went to girls' camps during the summer and learned some survival skills there. The other girls agreed, grateful, they began gathering wood and dry leaves to start a fire. As they sat facing the fire, Ariya glanced at Elvina with a guilty expression and said,
"I'm sorry, El. It's my fault that we followed the light." Elvina didn't look at Ariya, instead, she kept her gaze on Zuri and replied,
"It's alright, we're not alone," offering a warm smile to Zuri.
Ariya heard all sorts of folklore about a light that could take you away from this world, where people wouldn't even remember you existed. She hated her life; her parents were never around. Her father chased every girl he saw, and her mom was materialistic, shopping and traveling.
Ariya felt lonely at home, to the point where she'd attempted suicide several times. But meeting Elvina changed everything. She made her feel at ease, offering a safe place to stay where they could share their love for history books.
Ariya had come across stories about a mysterious light that would appear in a forest at night, near the tallest tree. They lived in California, home to the world's tallest tree, Hyperion. She was captivated by the idea of seeing this light and eventually convinced her best friend Elvina to join her on this adventure.
It took months of convincing, but they finally went to see it. However, after facing the dangers of the test, Ariya regretted dragging Elvina into it. Zuri kept thinking about her experience with the light in the forest, she never looked for it. Instead, it seemed to chase her.
The girls were exhausted but couldn't sleep. Zuri offered to stay awake and keep watch while they rested. As Ariya and Elvina slept, Zuri couldn't stop thinking about Zion. Maybe he was right; she wasn't strong enough for the test. Even her mom had been scared of her going through with it. She sighed and looked up at the trees, feeling the weight of doubt.
To calm her mind, she touched the necklace Jack had given her and carved a message into the tree: Zuri / Ariya / Elvina. It was her way of leaving a mark, a sign of their connection in this strange place. The first light of day shined through the trees, and Zuri could see the forest more clearly. The morning light made everything feel calmer.
She looked at Ariya and Elvina, who were dry now and sleeping peacefully. It was a relief to see them resting, so she hesitated to wake them. As she stood up trying to scan the area. Ariya's sudden scream shook Zuri. She turned and saw her clutching her head and yelling in agony. Elvina, startled awake, rushed to her friend's side, trying to calm her down.
"It's okay! Look at me," she urged, but Ariya's cries grew louder. Zuri hurried over her heart racing.
"What's wrong? What's hurting you?" she asked frantically. Through her clenched teeth, Ariya managed to stammer,
"My head! Help me!" The pain was palpable, and Zuri felt her sense of panic rising. What was happening to her?
The forest seemed to come alive as the ground trembled and tree roots burst from the earth, wrapping around Ariya's wrists and ankles, pinning her to the ground. Zuri felt her stomach turn as she desperately tried to free her friend, but the roots held tight, like iron bands. Elvina, paralyzed by fear, stood back, her eyes wide with shock.
"Elvina! Help me!" Zuri shouted, her voice urgent.
The ground beneath Ariya opened up like a hungry mouth, dragging her down inch by inch. Elvina, jolted into action snapping from her daze, threw her arms around her friend, holding on tightly.
"You're not dying on me, you hear me?" she yelled, her voice cracking with desperation.
Zuri's heart raced as she watched, helpless, seeing both girls getting swallowed by the earth. Zuri's voice rang out, echoing through the forest.
"Let them go! NOW!" she shouted.
The tree continued to swallow the girls, the roots gripping tighter. Zuri, feeling desperate, moved close to the tree and touched its bark, her fingers feeling the rough texture. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, centering herself.
"Let them go," she said, her voice calm but firm as if she was speaking to the heart of the forest.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then the ground started to relax, the roots loosening their hold. Ariya and Elvina's struggles slowed as the tree responded to Zuri's words. It was like the forest was listening.
The tree ejected Ariya and Elvina from the ground with a sudden force, causing them to hit the earth with a hard thud. Zuri watched in shock as they lay there, groaning in pain, trying to get up. But then, she felt the roots wrap gently around her waist and legs, binding her in place. It wasn't a tight hold. She noticed that the tree was now vibrant with flowers and greenery. It stood out in contrast to the other trees nearby as if responding to her presence.
Zuri felt a surge of energy flowing through her as the tree released its grip and stopped moving. She couldn't believe what had just happened or how she even thought to talk to a tree. It was as if her instincts took over, guiding her to do what was needed. Elvina, holding Ariya, asked,
"How did you do that?" Zuri, still in shock and uncertain, replied,
"I'm not sure!" Ariya struggled to talk and said,
"I don't care how you did it, but thank you!"Zuri with a grave tone replied,
"We need to keep moving! From what I understand, we're not supposed to stay here for too long." Both girls nodded.
They walked for what seemed like hours, with Elvina and Ariya each holding one of Zuri's hands, seeing her as their savior. Eventually spotted a distant lake. As they reached the water's edge, they noticed something strange. The lake was completely still, with no fish, no wind, no movement, as if time had frozen.
Zuri, a strong swimmer who often visited her school's pool to clear her mind by diving deep, stared across the lake at the house on the far side. It seemed so close yet so far, with the water in front of them eerily still and silent. Zuri told the girls,
"We have to swim across. We can't stay in the forest." the girls agreed, and Ariya said
"Okay! Let's go!" Elvina dove into the water first and, with a smile, encouraged the others.
"The water's perfect!" she said. Zuri and Ariya followed her, and they all began to cross the lake.
As they reached the middle of the lake, a powerful force suddenly dragged them under the water. Zuri, who was used to diving, stayed calm and held her breath. She looked around and saw the other girls opening their eyes, struggling against the current, and searching for each other. The force of the stream pushed them further down.
In an instant, the current reversed, propelling them upward. The water turned into air as the three girls shot up into the sky. Elvina and Ariya were yelling in shock, but Zuri's eyes looked around, trying to understand what was happening and how to regain control.
The stream continued upwards for what seemed a long time, then stopped abruptly, launching the girls onto a high bridge. The same one Zuri had seen when she entered the realm. The girls staggered to their feet, still shaky from the abrupt landing. The bridge was eerily quiet, with no guards present. Ariya, visibly relieved, exclaimed,
"I think we made it! This is where we started. Let's cross the bridge." Elvina nodded in agreement, her voice lighter,
"You're right." She turned to Zuri and added,
"Let's enter the realm."
Zuri felt uneasy about this bridge. Given everything she'd experienced in this realm, nothing had been simple. She couldn't help but suspect that crossing the bridge might not be as easy as it seemed. As the girls started walking across the bridge, they were surrounded by clouds.
At the end of the bridge, there was a huge door. Zuri felt a chill, it was a scary and eerie place. A cloud began to drift closer, obscuring the end of the bridge. Zuri froze, watching the cloud turn red as it crept closer. Ariya and Elvina quickly retreated to her side, sensing something was off.
"Zuri, something is wrong," Ariya whispered. Zuri nodded, her eyes fixed on the changing cloud.
"Don't move," she replied softly, her voice steady but her heart racing.